How To Start a Candle Business

Well.. I'm going to tell you the story of how WE got started, anyway,

The more people who find us, the more I'm forced to really think, 'how did this all begin?'because, of course, when you find out two friends run a business, you wonder, how did that come to be?

It all started in 2019 with a crocheted Baby Yoda and an etsy shop. Karen was learning to crochet and she was asking friends and family what she'd like her to try and make. I can't tell you exactly how this went down but I suggested that a baby yoda (or, to be mindful of the Disney cease and desist letters - Alien Child) could make her a small fortune on etsy.. so I set her up a page AND. IT. DID.

That was our first little dip of a toe in to the idea of business together, you could say. In the years that followed, Karen tried out craft markets with another friend who sewed some beautiful things and I always wished I had a craft to sell so I could join in.

Then in 2022, possible after a couple of drinks, we decided on.. candles.

There's more to the story that may one day be told but we each had some mental health troubles that year and needed a focus. We both suffer from shiny object syndrome and I have started more things than I can count before discarding them months later.. so I wasn't sure whether we could see it through but I think having the other person relying on you helps. I can't wake up tomorrow and decide 'candles aren't for me' anymore because this isn't just about me.. and definitely in those early days.. we each had those moments.

Candle making is not for the faint of heart!

We decided on candles because we were both prolific consumers (Karen more so wax melts) and there seemed to be limitless opportunity for creative expression. The jars, the colours, the shapes, the scents.. really it's the perfect ADHD business.

So.. that's not how to start a candle business in practical terms but it's how we started out candle business.. and a year later we were open, people actually bought our products and two years later, we're gearing up for our second Autumn/Winter season with more enthusiasm than ever.

If you're considering candle making, my biggest tip would be to try and keep it small. It's so tempting to buy buy buy but keep your supplies small until you know what works and then GO FOR IT. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. It's not medicine, it's just candles.. why not give it a go?